"Come on Elphaba," Fiyero said to his wife. "It looks like it's about to rain. We should probably start heading back."
The couple had been spending a nice spring day in the woods together looking at flowers, watching the woodland creatures scurry about, eating a picnic lunch, and enjoying being with each other. Now the sun was about to set and thick rain clouds were starting to take over the darkening sky.
"Then let it rain." Elphaba replied. "What's a little bit of rain going to do to us?"
"Melt us?" Fiyero asked trying to hide smirk.
"Ha ha, very funny." Elphaba said rolling her eyes. "I'll bet you've been waiting for weeks to use that one." As soon as those words left her mouth, the first drops of rain began to fall.
"Seriously though, we should go back home." Fiyero said. ""I don't want for you to get sick, and this cloth takes forever to dry once it gets soaked, and…"
"Can we just stay long enough to watch the sunset?" Elphaba asked, cutting him off. "Please Yero?"
"Fine." Fiyero sighed, running his burlap hand through his straw hair. Sitting down on a log, Fiyero put his arm around his wife. Pulling her close to him he kissed the top of her head.
"I love you Fae." He whispered into her ear. Elphaba smiled.
"I love you too." She said just as the sun began to sink below the horizon.
Line Break
Fiyero woke up to the sound of coughing coming from the living room of the small cottage that he and Elphaba owned. Although he couldn't see the clock, Fiyero could tell that it was very early in the morning.
"Elphaba?" He called.
"I'm out here."
Getting out of bed, Fiyero grabbed the blanket and made his way to the living room.
"Hey." Elphaba greeted him when he entered. She was sitting on the couch with a blank expression on her face. "Sorry if I woke you up." I came out here so that I would disturb you." she croaked before beginning to cough again.
Dropping the blanket on the floor Fiyero quickly went to the kitchen to grab a cup of water. When he returned he handed the cup to Elphaba who drank it without any hesitation.
"Thank you." She said when she had finished. Fiyero noticed how congested she sounded.
"You're sick." He pointed out.
"No I'm not." Elphaba said as Fiyero gave her a kiss on the forehead. He let his linger to check for fever. Sure enough Elphaba was burning up.
"You have a fever." He said.
"It's just hot in here." She retorted. "I'm fine."
"I'll believe you when you can say 'fine' properly."
"I'm not sick."
"Yes you are."
"Fiyero, for the last time…" But before she could finish a sneeze forced its way out followed by another coughing fit.
"You're shivering." Fiyero observed, handing Elphaba a tissue.
"I am?" she sniffed. "I didn't notice."
"You should sleep. It'll make you feel better."
"I'm not tired." Elphaba yawned. So much for that.
"Elphaba," Fiyero sighed, starting to get annoyed. "It's before dawn and you're sick, how could you not be…"
"Stop saying that!"
"Stop saying what?"
"I'm not sick!"
"Why are you being so stubborn about this?" Fiyero asked. He was taken aback when Elphaba began to cry.
"What's wrong?" Fiyero asked. Taking her into his arms he positioned her so that she was leaning against him and her head was on his chest. Fiyero could feel the heat from her body, even through the straw. He grabbed the blanket off of the ground and wrapped it around the both of them.
"Go ahead and say it." Elphaba sniffled, although it was more from the crying then from being ill.
"Say what?"
"You said that we should have gone inside last night, but I wanted to watch the stupid sunset." She sobbed.
"Shhhhh." Fiyero whispered, stroking Elphaba's long black hair. "It's alright Fae."
"I hate being sick Yero, I just hate it."
"You don't get sick very often do you?"
"Not since I was nine years old."
"Nine?" Fiyero asked. "That was a long time ago."
"Yeah it was, but I feel way worse now than I did then." She said, wiping away a tear.
"Shhh. Calm down Sweetie. It's okay." Fiyero said kissing the top of her head. "Do you need anything?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"No tea, or medicine, or tissues, or anything like that."
"No. Thank you though."
"No problem." Slowly Elphaba's cries started to quiet down until the room was silent . Just when Fiyero thought that Elphaba was asleep, she spoke again.
"I'm sorry Yero." She whispered. "I'm sorry about all of this."
"Don't be. Everyone gets sick sometimes." Fiyero assured her. "Try to get some sleep, okay?"
"Okay." With that she closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep.
"Elphaba?"
"Mmm?" She murmured.
"I love you." He said holding her a bit tighter
" I love you too Fiyero." She said, just as the sun began to rise.